(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for inspecting a wireharness to judge the quality thereof and, more specifically, to a method for inspecting a wireharness to judge the quality thereof by checking whether each terminal of connectors connected to each both ends of wires, which constitute the wireharness, electrically continues to other terminals or not.
(2) Description of the Related Art
So far, a wireharness, which includes a plurality of wires and connectors for receiving terminals attached to ends of the wires, has been judged its quality by checking whether said each terminal electrically continues to other terminals or not.
The conventional inspection of a wireharness described above has been carried out according to the following processes. That is, one terminal is selected out of terminals of the wireharness, then a potential is applied to this selected terminal and then, an electric potential at other terminals are checked. Thus, all the terminals are subjected to be applied potential in turn, then the potential of all the terminals except the terminal, to which the potential is applied, is checked in turn, thereby checking the electrical continuity between every pair of terminals.
A condition on the electrical continuity among terminals of a wireharness, which is subjected to be checked, is compared to that of a normal wireharness, thereby the quality of the wireharness, which is subjected to be checked, is judged and abnormal portions of the wireharness are detected.
In the above conventional art, all the terminals are subjected to be applied potential in turn, then the potential of all the terminals except the terminal, to which the potential is applied, is checked in turn. Since it has been needed to apply a potential to the terminals repeatedly for (number of the terminals xe2x88x921) times, there has been a problem that a long period of time is required to finish the inspection when the number of wires in the wireharness increases and the number of the terminals is increased.
That is, supposing that one terminal in the wireharness is applied potential, that a period of time T is required to finish the measurement of the potential at all the terminals except said one terminal, and that the number of the terminals is 3000, then as a result, a period of time 3000T is required to complete all the measurement of the potential between every pair out of the 3000 terminals.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to solve the above problem and to provide a method for inspecting a wireharness, in which a period of time required to complete the inspection can be shortened.
In order to attain the above objective, the present invention is to provide a method for inspecting a wireharness 2 including a plurality of wires 4 and connectors 5 for receiving terminals attached to ends of the wires in order to judge the quality of the wireharness, and the method for inspecting the wireharness comprises a first inspection step S1 consisting of:
simultaneously inputting a mutually different input 31 to said each terminal; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing an output 41 from said each terminal upon inputting of said input with a standard output from each terminal of a normal wireharness upon inputting of said input.
According to the construction described above, since the input is simultaneously input to each terminal, therefore a period of time required to inspect the wireharness can be controlled.
Moreover, since the mutually different input is simultaneously input to each terminal, therefore a period of time required for inputting the input does not fluctuate, because said time does not depend upon the number of joint groups (described later) constituted with wires by their mutual connection, which constitute the wireharness.
Said each terminal is numbered in sequence starting from one and said input 31 is input to said each terminal with time intervals corresponding to said number.
According to the construction described above, the input is securely mutually different for each terminal and can be simultaneously input to each terminal more securely, therefore a period of time required to inspect the wireharness can be controlled more securely.
Said input is input to said terminals in sequence starting from the terminal having less number of place up to the terminal having larger number of place, while with respect to each place said input is input to said terminals with the timing corresponding to the number of said place.
According to the construction described above, the input is mutually different for each terminal more securely and can be simultaneously input to each terminal more securely.
Moreover, a period of time to complete the input to all the terminals can be shortened compared to a method, in which the input is input to each terminal in turn.
The wireharness 2 has joint groups JG1, JG2, JG3 and JG4, each joint group having the wires 4 mutually electrically connected and terminals connected to ends of the wires, and the method for inspecting a wireharness comprises a second inspection step S2 consisting of:
simultaneously inputting a second input 35, which is mutually different among the different joint groups but is identical within said each joint group, to said each terminal; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing a second output 42 from said each terminal after inputting of said second input with a second standard output from each terminal of a normal wireharness upon inputting of said second input.
According to the construction described above, it can be securely inspected whether a short circuit among the joint groups exists or not.
The wireharness 2 has joint groups JG1, JG2, JG3 and JG4, each joint group having the wires 4 mutually electrically connected and terminals connected to ends of the wires, and the method for inspecting a wireharness comprises a third inspection step S3 consisting of:
simultaneously inputting a third input 36, which is mutually different among the different joint groups, to any one of terminal out of the terminals constituting the respective joint group; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing a third output 43 from said each terminal after inputting of said third input with a third standard output from each terminal of a normal wireharness upon inputting of said third input.
According to the construction described above, it can be securely inspected whether an open circuit among the terminals within each joint group exists or not.
The present invention is also to provide a method for inspecting a wireharness 2 which includes a plurality of wires 4 and connectors 5 for receiving terminals attached to ends of the wires in order to judge the quality of the wireharness, wherein the wireharness has joint groups JG1, JG2, JG3 and JG4, each joint group having the wires mutually electrically connected and terminals connected to ends of the wires, and the method for inspecting the wireharness comprises a second inspection step S2 and a third inspection step S3,
said second inspection step S2 comprising the steps of:
simultaneously inputting a second input 35, which is mutually different among the different joint groups but is identical within said each joint group, to said each terminal; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing a second output 42 from said each terminal after inputting of said second input with a second standard output from each terminal of a normal wireharness upon inputting of said second input,
said third inspection step S3 comprising the steps of:
simultaneously inputting a third input 36, which is mutually different among the different joint groups, to any one of terminal out of the terminals constituting the respective joint group; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing a third output 43 from said each terminal after inputting of said third input with a third standard output from each terminal of a normal wireharness upon inputting of said third input.
According to the construction described above, it can be securely inspected whether a short circuit among the joint groups exists or not, and moreover, it can be securely inspected whether an open circuit among the terminals within each joint group exists or not.
Said each joint group is numbered in sequence starting from one and said second input 35 is input to said each terminal with the timing corresponding to the number of said each joint group.
According to the construction described above, the second input is secrely mutually different for each joint group, therefore the second input can be simultaneously input to each terminal more securely.
Said each joint group is numbered in sequence starting from one and said third input 36 is input to said each terminal with the timing corresponding to the number of said each joint group.
According to the construction described above, the third input is secrely mutually different for each joint group, therefore the third input can be simultaneously input to each terminal more securely.
When the wireharness 2 is judged to have abnormality on the basis of an output from at least one terminal in any one step out of the first to third inspection steps, i.e. S1 to S3, the method for inspecting the wireharness comprises a fourth inspection step S4 consisting of:
successively selecting one terminal out of said terminals being judged to have abnormality;
inputting a fourth input 32 to said selected terminal; and
judging the quality of the wireharness by comparing fourth outputs 44a, 44b and 44c from all terminals except said selected terminal with fourth standard outputs from all terminals except said selected terminal upon inputting of said fourth input 32 to said selected terminal of a normal wireharness.
According to the construction described above, a short circuit or an open circuit of a terminal, which is judged to have the abnormality, can be securely inspected.